Summing Up

The particle effects applied in this chapter have obvious uses beyond lava. Most any sort of liquid can be simulated with the combination of Particle Flow and BlobMesh. The use of Shape Mark operators would suggest itself for the creation of ink stains on linen, high-tide marks on a sea wall, or even a CG character's “milk mustache.” The various sorts of colliding and bouncing behaviors could be used for any sort of constrained, viscous substance—oil in a tanker's hold, for example, or a cup of coffee in your hand.

The lessons learned should give you a fundamental basis for using Particle Flow for nearly any particle task. Creating a vast nest of hatching insects is a challenge similar to making a pool of popping gas bubbles. Spawning a spray of droplets from an expiring particle employs the same basic technique as casting chunks of flaming debris from a rocket's crash landing. If you can cause a dripping lava droplet to leave a trailing smear, you can certainly have your graffiti artist character leave an accurate spray pattern on a wall.